Humidifying heat-saver



Jam 28, 1936.

K. c. WRIGHT 2,0292% HUMIDIFYING HEAT SAVER Filed Aug. 22, 1952 2 Sheets$heet 1.

Jan. 28, 1936. K, c wRlGHT 2,029,208

HUMIDIFYING HEAT SAVER Filed Aug. 22, 1952 2 Sheer.s$heet 2 cal Patented Jan. 28, I936 UNETED STATES PATENT GFFICE 14 Ciaims.

My invention relates to a humidifying heatsaver and is designed to give a greater heat radiating surface in a compact construction by providing vertical end fiues which are bafiled to give the proper stack travel from the furnace through the device back and forth around a series of end fiues. This provides an efiicient tubular hot air heating element adapted to absorb heat which ordinarily would escape out the chimney through the stack from the furnace.

A feature resides in providing means for preventing combustible gases collecting in the humidifying heat-saving unit in starting the fire in the furnace or when the furnace is operated by an oil burner where combustible gases are apt to collect in the stack during the starting operation of the same. This combustible gas eliminating means includes a construction wherein a free or by-passageway is provided from the furnace through the stack to the chimney around my humidifying heat-saving unit. The operation of the same is automatic so that when the fire in the boiler has operated long enough to develop a predetermined heat an automatic thermosta-t-ic damper closes oif this by-pass and di rects the heat through the humidifying unit and then on to the chimney. This is of primary importance as it provides a humidifier and heatsaver unit having a safety factor which is most desirable.

My humidifying heating unit includes a vaporizing means wherein water is carried by a spray which plays directly into a wick pan from which a wick depends. To prevent an unpleasant odor in the building where the device is used this wick is spaced from the heating fiues.

It is a feature of my invention to form the humidifying means with an open receptacle for water which is in the path of air entering the unit. The expansion of the cold air upon contact with the heating fiues acts to drop a considerable portion of the dust into this open receptacle, thus removing this dust from the air.

An additional feature of my invention resides in making the various parts reversible and removable for easy assembly and repair. The construction is such that the device might be easily cleaned or repaired, and the operation of the device may be readily observed when desired. This feature is essential for most satisfactory operation.

A feature resides in providing a humidifying heat-saver unit wherein an asbestos wick is in the peculiar construction of the wick which is made up of a series of strands of asbestos each strand being bound by a fine non-rusting or corrosive Wire, such as brass or copper or other similar material not affected by moisture, and these wire bound strands are woven together to form a mat-like wick which is thus supported by the fine binding wires so that the wick will not crumble or become disintegrated and fall away from the moisture wick pan. Heretofore asbestos sheathing has been used with humidifying devices but it has not been practical because it breaks down and thus fails to operate. With my wire bound strands of the wick I provide an important structure in a heat-saving unit which. maintains the wick stretched or hanging in position in the humidifier so that the moisture is adjacent but not contacting with the heating flues of the unit. This wire bound wick will remain in this form until it is necessary to change the same after long use, and further, the wire binding of the strands of asbestos provides a screen-like wick having the advantage of holding in suspension a larger amount of moisture than just a plain screen and yet not breaking down under continuous use, it only being necessary to change the same after it has filled with lime or other foreign matter from the water and dust in the air passing over the same.

In the drawings forming part of this specification:

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates my humidifying heat-saver as it would appear installed in a building.

Figure 2 is a plan section on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective of my humidifying heat-saver unit, a part of which is broken away.

Figure 4 is a section through the stack, showing the thermostatic operated automatic damper in plan view.

Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of the stack, illustrating the automatic thermostatic damper of Figure 4 in dotted outline in the stack and suggesting by arrows the relative movement of the same to close the stack.

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure 2, of the humidifying heat-saver unit.

Figure 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 2.

Figure 8 is a detail end View of the wick pan, a part of which is broken away and showing a portion of the moisture wick attached thereto.

Figure 9 is a side View of the wick pan and a portion of the wick.

V Figure 10 is a plan detail of the supporting of the end brackets of the wick pan.

Figure 11 is a section on the line I lll of Figure 10.

Figure 12 is a detailed section of a portion of the heat-saver unit.

Figure 13 is a detail of a portion of the heatsaver unit.

Figure 14 is a sectional detail of the corner frame and insulating securing means of the heatsaver unit. I

Figure 15 illustrates one of the strands of the asbestos wick, showing the wire binding thereof.

Figure 16 is a detail of a portion of the woven asbestos wick.

The humidifying heat-saver A is adapted to be connected to the furnace B which may be operated with any kind of fuel including an oil burner, a portion of which is illustrated as C.

The furnace B is preferably connected by the stack l0 which leads directly to the chimney H in the building D. The illustration is only diagrammatic to show a simple connection of the humidifier and heat-saver A with the furnace B, and it should be borne in mind that the stack it, while illustrated as running direct from the furnace B to the chimney ll, is only suggestive of a manner in which the stack is connected to the chimney. It is important, however, that the furnace B have a direct connection by a stack, such as it, to the chimney H which is unimpaired by anything particularly in the starting of the oil burner C or the fire in the furnace B, so that the unspent gases may escape out of the chimney, should there be any, and thus I have provided the automatic damper l2 which is thermostatically operated by the coil l3, one end of which is connected to the damper 92 while the other end is connected to the shaft I4 which holds the damper in the stack In. The shaft M is held adjustable in the bracket l5 and may be set in a rigid position by the set screw Hi. The damper I2 is placed in the stack l0 between the humidifying heat-saver unit A and the chimney H and the unit A is connected at the top to the stack H3 by the stack flue l! and at the bottom by the stack flue 58 which connects at l9 to the flue It at a point between the chimney H and the damper i 2.

The damper I2 is normally wide open in the stack Hi, lying horizontal in the same so that when the burner C' or the furnace B begins to operate and unspent gases are directed toward the chimney H, they will be virtually instantly carried out through the chimney H and will not enter through the stack flue l7 into the A.

off from the furnace B and causes the same to pass through the unit A.

The unit A is of a simple character, being pro-' vided with side walls 20 and end walls 2!. These walls are held together by the inner angle iron frame member 22 and the outer clamping angle member 23, together with the bolt 24. The angle member 23 is normally formed with an inner angle less than a right angle, so that the edges 25 act as gripping members. to bear against the sides 28 and 2 i, while a heavy insulating sheathing 26 is clamped between the angle 22 and the sides 20 and 2! so as to insulate the sidewalls 2!! and 25 of the unit A. This structure'forms a simple means of clamping the walls together and supports the insulation 26 firmly in place. It is also apparent that the end walls 2! may be easily removed by loosening the bolts 24. This permits inspection of the interior of the unit A if it is desired.

The stack flue I1 is adapted to be connected to the upper inlet 21 of the unit A, while the flue i8 is adapted to be connected to the lower outlet 28 and the unit is formed withan inner tubular passage 23 which directs the hot gases through a pair of elongated flues 39 which are spaced apart and extend transversely through the center of the unit A connecting the inlet 2'! through the flues 3% to the chamber 3! on the opposite side of the unit A. By means of another pair of elongated transverse flues 32 and the baiiie wall 33 across the bottom of the chamber 3i, the hot gas is directed to the chamber 3 3 at the opposite side of the unit A and then by means of a similar pair of elongated flues 35 the gases are carried to the chamber 33 on the opposite side of the unit A, and then by means of another pair of similar elongated flues 3l'the gas is directed out of the unit A through the tubular passage 38 and out through the opening 28 into the flue !8. It will thus be apparent that the pairs of flues 3t, 32, 35 and 37, together with the tubular passage 29. bafiie wall 33, and the tubular passage 38, permit the hot gases or smoke from the furnace B to be carried back and forth through the unit A over large area by reason of the elongated flattened construction of the flues 3G, 32, 35, and 37 and the chambers 3!, 3 5 and 35, so as to retard the hot gases in the unit A in a manner to permit the heat to be absorbed from the same by air which is passed through the unit A as will be shortly set forth.

The transverse pairs of flues 30, 32, 35 and 31 are connected to the end plate frame portions 39 as illustrated in the detail in Figure 12, and the end plates are held by the bolts it to the transverse angie members ti extending across'the inside of the top of the unit A. The lower ends of the plates 39 are connected to lower cross members 42 so as to support the flues spaced apart and extending centrally in the unit A, as illustrated in Figure 7. In one of the ends 2| opposite to the end into which the openings 21 and 28 are formed, I provide two clean-out doors 43 which are positioned so that free access may be had to the compartments 3! and 36, and also the pairs of flues 3t, 32, 35 and 3?. By the doors 43 the unit -A may be kept clean and the flues may be inspected from time to time so as to see that the unit A is in good working order. 7

The unit A is formed with a removable wick pan E which is formed of copper or other suitable non-rusting material, having supporting brackets 4 on either end which engage in the loops 35 to support the wick pan E in the'top of the unit A. The sides 46 the pan E extend toward each other to form a wedge-shaped bottom portion out of which the asbestos wick F extends, the inner end of the wick being folded over at 41 virtually the width of the pan E so as to assist in holding the wick in the pan and also acting as a filler in the bcttom of the pan E to retard the free flow of moisture out of the same. The wick F is clamped between the parallel sides 48 of the bottom of the pan E and engaged by bolts 49 which hold the wick F firmly to the pan E.

Guards 5!! on the sides 46 of the pan E cover the slits 5| formed in the side walls and act as overflow openings for the water from the pan E. The slits 5| permit the surplus water to drain from the pan out over the guards 50 down toward the pointed lower end of the pan E and onto the wick F. The guards 50 also prevent any water from being carried by the water spray G which is positioned in the wick pan E, out toward the flues 30 which are adjacent the wick pan E. The spray G is also guarded by the upper inwardly slanting side walls 52 extending along the sides of the top of the wick pan E. The spray G is preferably operated with a fine mist-like spray and is set into the pan E so that the sides 52 will guard the top of the same, otherwise the pan E is open at the top so that a real fine mist-like spray may carry upward into the top of the unit to some extent. As the pan E fills with water some of the moisture from the same seeps through the folded portion 4! of the wick F and is carried by capillary attraction down the strands of the wick, spreading over the same so as to thoroughly saturate it. As the pan fills further, the water will run over the guards 50 and down onto the outside of the wick F.

The wick F is made of twisted asbestos strands 53. Each of these strands are wound about and bound by a fine wire 54 of copper, brass, or other suitable non-rusting material, so that each strand 53 is reinforced and held by the wire binding 54. The wick F is made by weaving these strands like a screen with small spaces between the strands so as to form a strong fire-proof moisture absorbing wick adapted to carry a large amount of moisture therein and yet prevented from crumbling or breaking down by the weight of the water and moisture and in the deterioration of the same which would be bound to take place were it not for the wire binding strands 54 which are wound about each of the strands 53 of the wick F. Thus the wick F forms a very practical and desirable means of assisting in carrying out the principles of my humidifying heat-saver. The wick F extends from the pan E down between all of the pairs of flues 3U, 32, 35 and 3! and the lower end of the same is adapted to rest in the overflow water pan H in the bottom chamber 55 of the unit A.

The pan I-I extends across and forms the bottom of the chamber 55 and is provided with an overflow pipe 56 which may be connected to a water drain to carry the surplus moisture away from the unit A which drains down the wick F to the same. The lower portion of the wick F may be connected at the points 51 in any suitable manner to hold the wick centrally between the pairs of flues and to prevent the same from contacting at any time with these flues. These flues are ordinarily hot in the operation of the humidifying heat-saver A and it is very undesirable to have the moisture wick F come in contact therewith or to have the moisture from the spray G come in contact with the same.

The lower chamber 55 is closed by the side metal sheet walls 58 and the end sheet walls 59. The ends 59 may be readily removable to inspect the water pan H and the contents thereof and to clean out the same.

The unit A is provided with a hood 60 which fits over the top of the sides 20 and 2| and may be lifted off of the same when desired, the hood fitting closely to the sides but freely removable and being of a nature where the side walls of the hood converge toward each other to form the crown outlet collar 6| at the center of the top of the hood. The hood is reversible so that it can be adjusted as desired on top of the unit A. This hood 6D is formed with an inspection door 62 which permits the spray G to be inspected at any time and also permits the wick pan E as well as the wick F to be removed as a unit out of the humidifying heat-saver unit A. Thus the wick and pan may be removed at any time and a new wick connected to the pan.

The hood Bil is connected by the air flue 63 to extend up into the building D and connect with the hot air outlet register 64. A cold air inlet register 65 is placed in a suitable position in the building D and is connected by the air flue 66 to any of the lower side walls 58 or 59 whichever is the most convenient in the installation of the unit A.

Thus when the unit A is in operation as illustrated in Figure l, the cold air enters the register 65, passes through the flue 66 into the bottom chamber 55 over the water in the pan H. Then the air entering in the chamber 55 starts passing up through the unit A and comes in contact with the wick F and with the pairs of heating flues 37, 35, 32 and 30, respectively, and up out through the hood 60, through the flue 63 and out of the hot air register 64 so that as the air comes out of the register 64, it will be humidified and heated in accordance with the heat in the unit A. It will be apparent that as the air enters the chamber 55 it will have a tendency to immediately start to expand, dropping most of the lint and dust in the same, thereby purifying and cleaning the air as it is humidified and heated and before it passes on up into the building D. A large number of furnaces have a high stack temperature. This heat goes to waste ordinarily as it passes directly out of the chimney. With my humidifying heat-saver I not only save a large amount of this heat which would ordinarily pass out of the chimney from the furnace B, but I clarify and humidify the air as it is heated, not to an extent where the humidification is beyond a desirable point, but just what the air should carry for the particular building D. The air is restricted through the hood 60 and yet is free to pass out of the crown El and through the flue 63. The retarding of the air in the top of the unit A is only sufficient to cause it to absorb the top heat in the unit A, it having gathered its moisture passing through the unit A and out of the top of the same, but it will be apparent that it will not be superheated to an extent to cause it to unduly pick up moisture which the air would not be able to maintain while it passes through the building, but rather just sufiicient to keep the air within the building properly humidified and clarified while at the same time the stack temperature is materially reduced and a considerable saving is accomplished of the heat generated in the furnace B.

I claim:

1. The combination, a furnace for delivering heat to a building, a stack to the chimney from the furnace, an air heating and humidifying cabinet adapted to be interposed in said stack and having flues connecting with said stack, an automatic damper means adapted to normally remain open when the stack is cold or at the start of the furnace and to close automatically when a pre-determined heat is reached in said stack, an air heating chamber about said flues, means for 7 connecting said air heating chamber with an'inlet and outlet register in a. building, and a humidifying spray, water pan, a wick depending from said water pan, and a water overflow pan secured to said cabinet adjacent said air inlet and positioned in said'air heating chamber in such a manner that all entering air passes over the same to humidify the air as itpasses through said cabinet. I

T 2. A heating and humidifying device for buildings including, a cabinet, a series of transverse flues extending in said cabinet, connecting passageways and baffle means to direct hot gases through said flues, a humidifying element extending between said flues, and spray'means for feeding water to said element, a drain and overflow below, said element, said element including a woven mesh of strands of asbestos, each strand having a metallic binding to reinforce the strands and strengthen said element.

3. A heating device for buildings including, a humidifying element formed of a woven mesh, means for feeding water by absorption from the upper extremity of said element, means at the upper extremity of said element to contain water, said element extending through said containing means, an overflow pan below said element, a series of heating flues associated with said element, means for connecting said flues to a source of heat, such as the stack of a furnace, means for bypassing the heat away from said device through the stack directly to the chimney, and means for circulating air from the building over said drain pan around said flues 'over said humidifying element and returning the same as hot humidified air to the building.

4. A humidifying and heating unit in combination with a furnace stack and chimney including, a. cabinet, a series of heating flues extending back and forth in said cabinet, an air heating and humidifying chamber extending about said flues, means for connecting said air heating chamber with a building to provide an'inlet and outflues extending in said cabinet, means for connecting the stack of a furnace to said flues to interpose said device between a furnace and the chimney of a building, an automatic by-pass damper adapted to be regulated by the heat from the furnace to by-pass the gases through the furnace stack directly to the chimney until a predetermined heat has automatically closed said damper, and means for circulating 'air from the building through said cabinet around said flues to absorb to a large degree the ordinarily wasted heat which passes out of the stack, and humidifying means in said air passageway tohumidify the air as it is heated and passedthrough'said device. a I

6. A humidifying device for building heaters including, a water spray, a water pan having side walls extending around said spray, inwardly converging side walls adapted to form a lower 1 longitudinal slot, means for'attaching a fireproof water absorbing screen to said pan pro- 7 walls adapted to form overflow openings to cause the overflow of water from said pan tobe directed over the outer sides of said screen, and means for connecting said device with the inside of a building to heat and humidify the air by passing it through said device.

7. A humidifying device for building heaters comprising, a'water pan adapted to be supported in the heater, a water supply spray positioned in said pan in a manner whereby said pan forms a guard" around said spray to confine the spray mainly in said pan, the top of said pan being open to permit mist to rise therefrom, a longitudinal slot formed at the bottom of said pan, an asbestos wick formed of a series of interwoven strands, each of said strands being reinforced by a fine wire wound about the same, an overflow pan at the bottom of said wick and in the heater to'collect the surplus moisture running down said wick from said upper pan, and means for passing air from a building over said humidifying device to heat, humidify and clarify the air of the building.

8. A heater and humidifying unit for buildings including, a casing, heating tubes extending in said casing adapted to be connected with a heating furnace, a humidifying means in said casing including a water spray, a water pan and guard about said spray to confine the spray in said pan to prevent water from coming in contact with said heating flues from said spray, an asbestos wick extending from said pan in a mannor to collect water from said pan inwardly and outwardly of said pan, said wick being formed of a series of asbestos strands woven together and each strand reinforced by a non-rusting metallic means, means for holding said wick out of contact with said heating flues, and means for passing the air from a building through said unit to be heated and simultaneously humidified and clarified.

9. A heating and hurnidifying device for buildings including, a casing, insulation secured to said casing to confine the heat within said casing, heating tubes positioned in said casing, means for connecting said tubes to a furnace to collect heat therefrom, a water pan associated above said heating tubes, a water collecting wick extending from said pan between said tubes, means for feeding water to said pan, means for directing water directly onto said wick from within said pan and overflow means for directing overflow water from said pan over the sides of said wick, means for'holding said wick and pan spaced from said heatingflues, a lower compartment in said casing, a water pan within said 'lower compartment into which said wick is adapted to' extend to direct the overflow of moisture into said. pan, and means for connecting the building with said casing to cause cold air to be drawn from the building and passing over said flues, water pans and wick to humidify and clarify the air as it is heated.

10. A device. for utilizing ordinarily wasted heat from the stack of a furnace including, a casing having removableside walls, insulating withinsaid casing, heating tubes in said casing, means for connecting'said heating tubes to the stack of a furnace in a manner to automatically pass the stack gases through said heating tubes after a predetermined heat has been built up in the stack, an upper water pan in said casing, a reinforced asbestos wick extending from said pan, means for holding said pan and the wick removable, a lower water pan for overflow in the bottom of said casing having an area extending across the bottom of said casing, removable side walls for inspecting said lower pan, and means for connecting the air from a building in a manner to be first passed over said lower water pan, then around and over said heating flues and humidifying Wick, and out of said casing back into the building, thereby utilizing the ordinarily wasted heat from a stack to heat the building and simultaneously humidify the same.

11. A humidifier and heat-saver including, a series of heating flues, a casing extending about said fiues having removable side walls, an insulation in said casing for confining heat within said casing coming from said flues, means for connecting said flues to the stack of a furnace, rigidly secured humidifying means in said casing having an upper and lower water pan, the upper pan being the feeder and the lower pan being the overflow, a Water carrying wick extending between said pans, and through said upper pan, and means for connecting the compartment in said casing wherein said humidifying device is located with the interior of a building to heat and simultaneously humidify and clarify the air ofthe building by the heat from the stack thereof.

12. A humidifier and heat-saver unit including, a series of heating tubes adapted to be connected to the stack of a furnace, a removable humidifying means interposed between said heating flues and spaced therefrom, an interchangeable hood on said humidifier, an inspection door in said hood, insulation in said humidifier, an overflow pan over which all entering air must pass, and an automatic damper adapted to normally be open when the stack is cold and to direct the heat from the stack through said humidify- 5 ing device and heat-saver after a predetermined heat is built up in the stack from the furnace and means for connecting said unit in a manner to heat and humidity the air in a building.

13. A humidifier and heat-saving unit in combination with the stack of a furnace including,

a cabinet having a series of pairs of heating flues therein adapted to be connected to the stack of a furnace, and means for automatically directing the gases from the stack through said heating flues or away from the same in accordance with the heat in said stack, a humidifying means in said cabinet suspended between the flues of each pair, and means for passing the air from a building about said humidifying means and over said heating flues in said cabinet to heat and humidify the air of the building by the ordinarily wasted heat units in the stack of a furnace.

14. A heating and humidifying device for buildings including a cabinet, a series of transverse flues extending in said cabinet, connecting passageways and bafiie means to direct hot gases through said flues, a humidifying element extending between said flues, and spray means for feeding water to said element, and a drain and overflow below said element.

KINDY C. WRIGHT. 

